Longmeadow hosts delegation from Takikawa, Japanese sister city

From left, Norikazu Mizuguchi, chairman of the Takikawa Assembly; Paul Pasterczyk, Longmeadow town finance director; Koichi Maeda, mayor of Takikawa; and Marie Angelides, Longmeadow selectman, all pose with signed friendship agreements between Longmeadow and Takikawa. In the foreground on the table are gifts presented by each delegation.Photo by Staasi Heropoulos

LONGMEADOW - The ties that bind America and Japan begin in Washington, D.C., and trickle down to more simple, less formal relationships far outside the Beltway.

One of those relationships exists between Longmeadow and Takikawa, a city of 60,000 people on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Longmeadow and Takikawa established a friendship agreement in 2006. The two sister communities renewed that pact with a formal signing ceremony this fall at Town Hall. The agreement paves the way student exchange programs along with annual visits to Longmeadow by Japanese government officials and business leaders.

"We keep hearing a lot about globalization in the 21st century and I think we have a lot to learn from other countries around the world, in particular what their governments are doing," said Lori Snyder, a history teacher and East Asia advisor at Longmeadow High School. Snyder also coordinates the Takikawa-Longmeadow exchange program.

Takikawa's economy is based on agricultural production with a focus on canola flower and oil. The city's newly elected mayor, along with the chairman of the city assembly and the president of a junior college alumni association, spent a day touring the Richard Salter Storrs Library, the town's police and fire departments, and the construction site of the new high school.

Japanese officials also received a civics lesson from Paul Pasterczyk, Longmeadow town finance director, and took a lunch break for American burgers.

"The Town Meeting (form of government) is very interesting. We don't have that kind of system. We have a city council and they decide what to do. Each citizen doesn't vote for the issues. A representative decides and that's very different," said Yasuhiro Yamauchi, director of the Takikawa Internal Affairs Division.

Members of the Japanese delegation wanted to know how America structures its federal, state and local governments. The Japanese were especially intrigued by the notion of raising property taxes to fund government programs. Delegates will use the information to consider and debate potential changes to their own system of government and economy.

Several students from Longmeadow have traveled to Takikawa and lived with host families there. Local families have likewise hosted Japanese students. Whether it's students returning home or government officials gathering information, the sister city program has strengthened the global connection between Takikawa and Longmeadow, and international relations between Washington and Tokyo.

"Learning about the world and having an opportunity to live with a family in another country creates a lot of potential for our students," Snyder said .

Yamauchi has a long-standing relationship with Western Massachusetts. He was an English teacher in Japan before entering government service. He spent a year living and teaching in the Springfield Public School system. He's been back to the area every year since 2006, serving as interpreter for his fellow delegates and enjoying his annual trip to Longmeadow.

"This year we learned about how town government is organized. We can bring that information back to our people," said Yamauchi. "Every time a group comes back from Longmeadow they say what a nice place it is. This has been a really interesting meeting."